After a week of not seeing hide nor hair of his brother, House began to relax, somewhat. Of course, he was a living hell to everyone around him, anticipating a return from Fritz. Even after somewhat being contrite with Cameron about teasing her, he returned to the same old antics.
During one of the white board meetings, he huranged and humiliated her, as usual. They were working on an especially puzzling case, and House was getting more and more irritated and frustrated at the lack of good responses from the ducklings.
"Cameron!" House blurted out. "Don't you have anything to contribute?"
Cameron looked at Foreman and Chase hesitantly. They didn't meet her gaze, as they stared down at the floor, fidgeting nervously.
"Well?" House persisted, his voice getting louder and more menacing by the minute.
"I- I think we shouldn't rule out MS....after all, the patient's age is about right for the onset....I'd do a PET scan, EEG, and another MRI....."
"If those tests haven't showed anything so far, what makes you think running them again we might see something?" House challenged her. Wilson was standing in the back of the conference room, his arms folded over his chest, and one hand supporting his chin. He shot House a warning look and nodded his head where Cameron was sitting.
"Wilson! Did you say something? Or do you have a tic in your neck?" House boomed.
Wilson blushed lightly but narrowed his eyes at House, shook his head and stomped out of the room. He couldn't stand this mood House was in, even for House, and he hated the way he was treating Cameron. She didn't deserve it.
"Maybe Cameron is right....." Chase contributed timidly.
"What is this, the Dr. Cameron Admiration Society?!" House barked sarcastically. "When you people fail to come up with a decent differential diagnosis, you say the first thing that comes to mind, instead of thinking it through first?"
"Yeah, and if we didn't say anything, he'd call us stupid or mutes or something", Foreman uttered under his breath.
"You say something, Sambo?"
Foreman glared at House. "Look, House, we've been taking your verbal abuse ever since we set foot in this hospital, but I draw the line there! Whatever bug you've got up your arse, deal with it on your own time, not ours!" Foreman got up abruptly and stormed out of the room, with Chase following at his heels. The last thing Chase wanted was to give House a chance to blast him next.
The only one who remained, besides House, was Cameron. It figures. An atom bomb could go off under her chair, and she'd still be sitting there!
Realizing it was just the two of them, House suddenly forgot his anger. He turned his back on Cameron and scribbled furiously on the white board, to avoid confrontation. Cameron cleared her throat nervously, as House turned around finally, and faced her. The two locked eyes for several moments. Cameron was the first to break the stare.
"I-I think I should be going too", she said hurriedly, as she grabbed her writing materials and headed out the door.
"Cameron!" House said suddenly. Cameron shuddered. Why was it that House always chose to say something just as she was leaving a room? Was this part of his routine now? She turned around very slowly to face him, trying to stay as calm as she could.
"Never mind", House said softly and shrugged. Cameron raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth, but decided not to say anything. After everything House had said to her, none of it nice, she welcomed the loss of words from him. She bolted for the door before House could change his mind.
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"What the hell is your problem this week, House?" Wilson said to House, as they ate lunch in the cafeteria.
House shrugged and took a bite of his Reuben. "I dunno....I'm been a real arse to everyone, I know, but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking that Fritz was going to come back for another reunion".
"You probably pissed him off enough that he decided to stay away...can't say I blame the guy". House smirked at Wilson and finished his sandwich in one last gulp.
"House!"
House rolled his eyes and inwardly shuddered. The voice of the Wicked Witch. He wasn't safe anywhere anymore.
"Do you mind, Cuddy? After all, I am allowed a lunch hour, aren't I? There's no clinic duty today, so what's the problem?"
Cuddy walked over to House and gave Wilson a "this is private" kind of look. Wilson took his tray and walked off.
"What the hell is up with you? I can tolerate just about anything from you, but now the complaints are coming from your own employees!"
"Oh they're just pissed off at me because they were giving me lame diagnoses during the white board meeting", House said irritably.
Cuddy shook her head. "I met up with Cameron in the bathroom, and she was in tears. House, I think you've gone too far!" Cuddy was standing with her hands on her hips, her cheeks flushed with anger.
"Oh, calm down, Party Pants!" Cuddy was not amused. At the mention of her old nickname, her eyes darkened, her nostrils flared, and for a moment, House thought she was going to produce a broomstick at any moment.
"What did she say?" House asked, his voice calming down considerably. Maybe he had gone too far?
"She was so upset, she barely got out a word, all I understood was 'House', so I knew you had to have a hand in it....I swear House, straighten up and fly right, or you're going to lose some very good employees!"
"Did she say as much?" House was now a little worried.
Cuddy nodded her head. "I think she wants to resign, House". Cuddy didn't wait for House to answer, she walked away, leaving House standing there in deep thought.
to be cont'd.
